1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information service systems, and portable devices and information service devices used in such information service systems. The present invention relates particularly to information service systems capable of providing a user with desired information when the user simply inputs thereto a logical concept memorable for the user, and portable devices and information service devices used in such information service systems.
2. Description of the Background Art
Lodgers in a hotel or the like require positional information on their lodgings, dining hall for breakfast and the like. If a lodger is a tourist belonging to a tour group the lodger can obtain such information from a tour guide. If a lodger is an individual tourist, the lodger can obtain such information from the reception of the hotel. At any rate, it is necessary for a lodger to associate his or her lodging, dining hall for breakfast and the like with his or her room number, the name of the dining hall for breakfast and the like, respectively.
Conventionally, in moving to a lodging, a dining hall for breakfast and the like, a lodger refers to his or her own memory and a guide map of the hotel where the lodger stays, to determine a route to his or her destination in the hotel for himself or herself and go to the destination. However, a room number, the name of a hall and the like are in effect a simple number, a name such as a proper noun, and the like, respectively, and are in general forgettable. As such, the lodger can often forget a room number or the name of a hall and in that case must obtain the information on the room number and the like again from the reception or the like of the hotel. Such information changes whenever a lodger changes his or her accommodation, and the lodger must memorize different such information for each accommodation.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-189690 discloses a guide system assisting a user in moving to a destination. Referring to FIG. 68, the conventional guide system includes more than one transmitter 10 used in a building, an exhibition hall and the like and each installed on a passageway at a predetermined position to transmit positional information indicating its installed position, and a user-portable, direction guide device 20. The positional information is used in direction guide device 20 to determine the current position.
Direction guide device 20 includes a start-point memory 21 storing a start point input by a user, a destination memory 22 storing a destination input by the user, a receive block 23 receiving positional information transmitted from transmitter 10, and a map memory 24 previously storing a route (i.e., a direction to the destination and the location at which transmitter 10 is installed) in a form of on-map information.
Direction guide device 20 also includes an on-map information search block 25 connected to start-point memory 21, destination memory 22 and map memory 24 to refer to a start point stored in start-point memory 21 and a destination stored in destination memory 22 to search map memory 24 for on-map information on a route and direction to the destination, and a route memory 26 connected to on-map information search block 25 to store on-map information (a route) retrieved by on-map information search block 25.
Direction guide device 20 also includes a direction guide block 27 connected to route memory 26 and receive block 23 to refer to positional information received by receive block 23 and on-map information stored in route memory 26 to indicate a direction to be taken by the user.
A user receives direction guide device 20 at a reception or the like and inputs thereinto a start point and a destination. Based on the start point and the destination, on-map information search block 25 calculates a route to the destination which is in turn stored in route memory 26. When the user approaches a transmitter installed for example at an intersection of passageways, receive block 23 receives positional information. Direction guide block 27 refers to the route to the destination stored in route memory 26 and the positional information received by receive block 23 to determine and indicate to the user a direction to be taken by the user. Thus the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If such guide system is used in an accommodation facility such as a hotel, however, the user must associate his or her necessary logical concepts, such as a lodging, a dining hall for breakfast, with physical concepts, such as a room number, the name of the dining hall for breakfast, and thus memorize them. As such, if the user uses more accommodations in the hotel, it is difficult for the user to memorize such correspondence. Furthermore, this guide system cannot display information in a manner switched depending on the user, such as in languages switched depending on the user. Furthermore, this guide system having an internal map memory for storing data large in scale corresponding to a map, would disadvantageously increase the size of the device itself and render the device inconvenient to hold.
Furthermore, the user is required to input to the guide system both a start point and a destination, which is also required to be input in the form of a physical concept described above. As such, the system is inconvenient for the user to use.
The present invention has been made to overcome the disadvantages described above and contemplates an information service system using user-memorable information to provide desired information, and a portable device and an information service device used in such information service system.
The present invention also contemplates an information service system providing information allowing a user to efficiently reach a destination if the user does not know the name of the destination, and a portable device and an information service device used in such information service system.
The present invention also contemplates an information service system capable of providing information allowing a user to reach a destination without inputting the user""s start point, and a portable device and an information service device used in such information service system.
The present invention also contemplates a portable device convenient to hold.
In accordance with the present invention in one aspect an information service system includes a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group for output, and an information service device receiving the information contained in the second group and converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group. The portable device includes an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the second group, a first conversion block connected to the input block and the first memory to receive the information contained in the first group and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group into the information contained in the second group, and a first transmit block connected to the first conversion block to receive an output of the first conversion block and transmit the output of the first conversion block to the information service device. The information service device includes a second memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a first receive block receiving information from the first transmit block, and a second conversion block connected to the first receive block and the second memory to receive an output of the first receive block and refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The information contained in the first group is adapted to be information easy for a user to memorize and the information contained in the second group is adapted to be information hard for the user to memorize. As such, the user can use the information easy for the user to memorize to obtain desired information contained in the third group. Thus the user can readily obtain desired information. For example, a logical concept, such as a dining hall for breakfast, a lodging, is prepared as the information contained in the first group, and a physical concept indicative of a destination, such as xe2x80x9cAZALEA (corresponding to the name of the dining hall for breakfast),xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca corner on the third floor,xe2x80x9d is prepared as the information contained in the second group. Furthermore, a direction to a destination, such as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, is prepared as the information contained in the third group. Thus, if the user does not know the name of his or her destination, the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If the information service device is provided in a facility at various locations, simply by inputting a logical concept to the portable device the user can obtain from the information service device a direction to his or her destination. Thus, without inputting his or her current position the user can efficiently reach the destination.
Furthermore, the portable device is not required to store data large in scale, such as information in the form of a map. Thus the portable device can be miniaturized and thus easy for the user to hold.
Preferably the second memory includes a third memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and information contained in a fourth group, and a fourth memory storing an association between the information contained in the fourth group and the information contained in the third group. The second conversion block includes a third conversion block connected to the first receive block and the third memory to receive the output of the first receive block and refer to the association stored in the third memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the fourth group for output, and a fourth conversion block connected to the third conversion block and the fourth memory to receive an output of the third conversion block and refer to the association stored in the fourth memory to convert the information contained in the fourth group into the information contained in the third group for output.
If it is difficult to obtain an association between the information contained in the second group and that contained in the third group, an association between the information contained in the second group and the additionally prepared information contained in the fourth group and an association between the information contained in the fourth group and that contained in the third group can be used to allow the information contained in the second group to be converted into that contained in the third group.
For example, if the present system is used in an airport, the information contained in the first group may be the destination and time of an airplane to board, and the information contained in the second group may be the flight number of the airplane. Furthermore, the information contained in the fourth group may be a gate number and the information contained in the third group may be a direction to a boarding gate corresponding to the gate number. The destination and time of the airplane to board and the gate number for the airplane are previously not definite. In other words, when a ticket for the airplane is actually purchased the destination and time of the airplane and the gate number therefor do not yet have therebetween a definite association while the destination and time of the airplane and the flight number thereof already have a definite association therebetween. As such, introducing new information, or the flight number of the airplane, can distinctively separate an association definite when a ticket for the airplane is purchased (an association between the destination and time of the airplane and the flight number of the airplane) and an association definite on the day of the departure of the airplane (an association between the flight number of the airplane and the gate number for the airplane). The association between the destination, time and the flight number may be stored in the portable device at the first memory, and the association between the flight number and the gate number may be stored in the information service device at the third memory. If an association between a destination, time and a gate number can be separated in two, such association can be readily understood and controlled. For example, an association between a destination, time and a flight number, stored in the portable device, may be controlled by an airline, while an association between the flight number and a gate number, stored in the information service device, may be controlled by an airport management office.
Still preferably the portable device further includes an information output block outputting the information contained in the fourth group. The first memory stores an association between the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the fourth group. The first conversion block is connected to the input block, the information output block and the first memory to receive the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group into the information contained in the second group.
For example, the information contained in the first group may be the name of a bank which a user desires to use (the name of the bank of interest) and the information contained in the second group may be the name of a bank which accepts a bank book or a cash card of the bank of interest (the name of an affiliate bank). Furthermore, the information contained in the third group may be a direction to the affiliate bank and the information contained in the fourth group may be time. The first memory is adapted to store the name of the bank of interest, the name of the affiliate bank, and the business hours of the affiliate bank. As such, the user is only required to input the name of the bank of interest to obtain information on the name of any affiliate bank currently open for business and obtain information on a direction to the affiliate bank via the information service device. Thus the user efficiently reach a destination if the user does not know specifically the name, location or business hours of the destination.
In accordance with the present invention in another aspect a portable device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving and converting information contained in a first group into information contained in a second group for output, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group. The portable device includes an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the second group, a first conversion block connected to the input block and the first memory to receive the information contained in the first group and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group into the information contained in the second group, and a first transmit block connected to the first conversion block to receive and transmit an output of the first conversion block to the information service device.
The information contained in the first group is adapted to be information easy for a user to memorize and the information contained in the second group is adapted to be information hard for the user to memorize. As such, the user can use the information easy for the user to memorize to obtain desired information contained in the third group. Thus the user can readily obtain desired information. For example, a logical concept, such as a dining hall for breakfast, a lodging, is prepared as the information contained in the first group, and a physical concept indicative of a destination, such as xe2x80x9cAZALEA,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca corner on the third floor,xe2x80x9d is prepared as the information contained in the second group. Furthermore, a direction to a destination, such as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, is prepared as the information contained in the third group. Thus, if the user does not know the name of his or her destination, the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If the information service device is provided in a facility at various locations, simply by inputting a logical concept to the portable device the user can obtain from the information service device a direction to his or her destination. Thus, without inputting his or her current position the user can efficiently reach the destination.
Furthermore, the portable device is not required to store data large in scale, such as information in the form of a map. Thus the portable device can be miniaturized and thus easy for the user to hold.
In accordance with the present invention in another aspect an information service device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving and converting information contained in a first group into information contained in a second group for output, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group. The information service device includes a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a first receive block receiving from the portable device the information contained in the second group, and a first conversion block connected to the first receive block and the first memory to receive an output of the first receive block and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The information contained in the first group is adapted to be information easy for a user to memorize and the information contained in the second group is adapted to be information hard for the user to memorize. As such, the user can use the information easy for the user to memorize to obtain desired information contained in the third group. Thus the user can readily obtain desired information. For example, a logical concept, such as a dining hall for breakfast, a lodging, is prepared as the information contained in the first group, and a physical concept indicative of a destination, such as xe2x80x9cAZALEA,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca corner on the third floor,xe2x80x9d is prepared as the information contained in the second group. Furthermore, a direction to a destination, such as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, is prepared as the information contained in the third group. Thus, if the user does not know the name of his or her destination, the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If the information service device is provided in a facility at various locations, simply by inputting a logical concept to the portable device the user can obtain from the information service device a direction to his or her destination. Thus, without inputting his or her current position the user can efficiently reach the destination.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service system includes a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and outputting the information contained in the first group and an identifier of the portable device, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the first group and the identifier into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output. The portable device includes an identifier memory storing the identifier, an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, and a first transmit block connected to the input block and the identifier memory to receive the information contained in the first group and transmit to the information service device the information contained in the first group and the identifier stored in the identifier memory. The information service device includes a first receive block receiving information from the first transmit block, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group, the identifier and the information contained in the second group, a second memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a first conversion block connected to the first receive block and the first memory to receive an output of the first receive block and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the identifier into the information contained in the second group for output, and a second conversion block connected to the first conversion block and the second memory to receive an output of the first conversion block and refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The information contained in the first group is adapted to be information easy for a user to memorize and the information contained in the second group is adapted to be information hard for the user to memorize. As such, the user can use the information easy for the user to memorize to obtain desired information contained in the third group. Thus the user can readily obtain desired information. For example, a logical concept, such as a dining hall for breakfast, a lodging, is prepared as the information contained in the first group, and a physical concept indicative of a destination, such as xe2x80x9cAZALEA,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca corner on the third floor,xe2x80x9d is prepared as the information contained in the second group. Furthermore, a direction to a destination, such as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, is prepared as the information contained in the third group. Thus, if the user does not know the name of his or her destination, the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If the information service device is provided in a facility at various locations, simply by inputting a logical concept to the portable device the user can obtain from the information service device a direction to his or her destination. Thus, without inputting his or her current position the user can efficiently reach the destination.
Furthermore, the portable device is not required to store data large in scale, such as information in the form of a map. Thus the portable device can be miniaturized and thus easy for the user to hold.
Preferably the information service system also includes a central control system connected to the first memory to rewrite the association between the information contained in the first group, the identifier and the information contained in the second group that is stored in the first memory.
The central control system collectively rewrites an association between the information contained in the first group, an identifier and the information contained in the second group that is stored in the first memory. This eliminates the necessity of rewriting the association between the information contained in the first group and that contained in the second group for each portable device and thus allows such association to be rewritten efficiently.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect a portable device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and outputting the information contained in the first group and an identifier of the portable device, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the first group and the identifier into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output. The portable device includes an identifier memory storing the identifier, an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, and a first transmit block connected to the input block and the identifier memory to receive the information contained in the first group and transmit to the information service device the information contained in the first group and the identifier stored in the identifier memory.
The information contained in the first group is adapted to be information easy for a user to memorize and the information contained in the second group is adapted to be information hard for the user to memorize. As such, the user can use the information easy for the user to memorize to obtain desired information contained in the third group. Thus the user can readily obtain desired information. For example, a logical concept, such as a dining hall for breakfast, a lodging, is prepared as the information contained in the first group, and a physical concept indicative of a destination, such as xe2x80x9cAZALEA,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca corner on the third floor,xe2x80x9d is prepared as the information contained in the second group. Furthermore, a direction to a destination, such as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, is prepared as the information contained in the third group. Thus, if the user does not know the name of his or her destination, the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If the information service device is provided in a facility at various locations, simply by inputting a logical concept to the portable device the user can obtain from the information service device a direction to his or her destination. Thus, without inputting his or her current position the user can efficiently reach the destination.
Furthermore, the portable device is not required to store data large in scale, such as information in the form of a map. Thus the portable device can be miniaturized and thus easy for the user to hold.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and outputting the information contained in the first group and an identifier of the portable device, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the first group and the identifier into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output. The information service device includes a first receive block receiving an output of the portable device, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group, the identifier and the information contained in the second group, a second memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a first conversion block connected to the first receive block and the first memory to receive an output of the first receive block and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the identifier into the information contained in the second group for output, and a second conversion block connected to the first conversion block and the second memory to receive an output of the first conversion block and refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The information contained in the first group is adapted to be information easy for a user to memorize and the information contained in the second group is adapted to be information hard for the user to memorize. As such, the user can use the information easy for the user to memorize to obtain desired information contained in the third group. Thus the user can readily obtain desired information. For example, a logical concept, such as a dining hall for breakfast, a lodging, is prepared as the information contained in the first group, and a physical concept indicative of a destination, such as xe2x80x9cAZALEA,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ca corner on the third floor,xe2x80x9d is prepared as the information contained in the second group. Furthermore, a direction to a destination, such as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, is prepared as the information contained in the third group. Thus, if the user does not know the name of his or her destination, the user can efficiently reach the destination.
If the information service device is provided in a facility at various locations, simply by inputting a logical concept to the portable device the user can obtain from the information service device a direction to his or her destination. Thus, without inputting his or her current position the user can efficiently reach the destination.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service system includes a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and outputting the information contained in the first group, and an information service device receiving the information contained in the first group and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output. The portable device includes an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, and a first transmit block connected to the input block to receive the information contained in the first group and transmit to the information service device the information contained in the first group. The information service device includes a first receive block receiving information from the first receive block, an information output block outputting information contained in a fourth group, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the fourth group, a second memory storing an association between the information stored in the second group and the information stored in the third group, a first conversion block connected to the first receive block, the information output block and the first memory to receive the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group into the information contained in the second group, and a second conversion block connected to the first conversion block and the second memory to receive an output of the first conversion block and refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
For example, the information contained in the first group may be the name of a bank which a user desires to use (the name of the bank of interest) and the information contained in the second group may be the name of a bank which accepts a bank book or a cash card of the bank of interest (the name of an affiliate bank). Furthermore, the information contained in the third group may be a direction to the affiliate bank and the information contained in the fourth group may be time. The first memory is adapted to store the name of the bank of interest, the name of the affiliate bank and the business hours of the affiliate bank, and the second memory is adapted to store the name of the affiliate bank and the direction to the affiliate bank. As such, the user is only required to input the name of the bank of interest to obtain information on a direction to an affiliate bank currently open for business. Thus the user efficiently reach a destination if the user does not know specifically the name, location or business hours of the destination.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect a portable device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving and outputting information contained in a first group, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in the second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output. The portable device includes an input block inputting information contained in the first group, an identifier memory storing an identifier of the portable device, a transmit block connected to the input block and the identifier memory to transit to the information service device the information contained in the first group together with the identifier of the portable device, a receive block receiving from the information service device the information contained in the third group and the identifier of the portable device, and a display block connected to the receive block and the identifier memory to refer to a result of comparing the identifier received by the receive block with the identifier stored in the identifier memory to display the information contained in the third group.
The portable device transmits to the information service device an identifier which is in tern sent back to the portable device together with the information contained in the third group. As such, the portable device can display on the display block only the information transmitted thereto.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving and outputting information contained in a first group, and an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output. The information service device includes a first receive block receiving information from the portable device, an information output block outputting information contained in a fourth group, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the fourth group, a second memory storing an association between the information stored in the second group and the information stored in the third group, a first conversion block connected to the receive block, the information output block and the first memory to receive the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group and refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group into the information contained in the second group, and a second conversion block connected to the first conversion block and the second memory to receive an output of the first conversion block and refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
For example, the information contained in the first group may be the name of a bank which a user desires to use (the name of the bank of interest) and the information contained in the second group may be the name of a bank which accepts a bank book or a cash card of the bank of interest (the name of an affiliate bank). Furthermore, the information contained in the third group may be a direction to the affiliate bank and the information contained in the fourth group may be time. The first memory is adapted to store the name of the bank of interest, the name of the affiliate bank, and the business hours of the affiliate bank, and the second memory is adapted to store the name of the affiliate bank and the direction to the affiliate bank. As such, the user is only required to input the name of the bank of interest to obtain information on a direction to an affiliate bank currently open for business. Thus the user efficiently reach a destination if the user does not know specifically the name, location or business hours of the destination.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service system includes a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and outputting the information contained in the first group, an information service device receiving the information contained in the first group and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output, and a relay device relaying information between the portable device and the information service device. The portable device includes an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, and a first transmit block connected to the input block to receive the information contained in the first group and transmit to the relay device the information contained in the first group. The relay device includes a first receive block receiving information from the first transmit block, and a second transmit block connected to the first receive block to receive the information contained in the first group and transmit to the information service device the information contained in the first group. The information service device includes a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the second group, a second memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a second receive block receiving information from the relay device, a first conversion block connected to the second receive block and the first memory to refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group into the information contained in the second group for output, and a second conversion block connected to the first conversion block and the second memory to refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The portable device and the information service device are adapted to communicate information with each other via a relay device. As such, if for example the information service device is an artificial satellite and the relay device is a cellular station, the information service system can provide information in a wide range of area.
Preferably the information service device also includes an information output block outputting information contained in a fourth group. The first memory stores an association between the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the fourth group. The first conversion block is connected to the second receive block, the information output block and the first memory to refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group into the information contained in the second group for output.
For example, the information contained in the first group may be the name of a bank which a user desires to use (the name of the bank of interest) and the information contained in the second group may be the name of a bank which accepts a bank book or a cash card of the bank of interest (the name of an affiliate bank). Furthermore, the information contained in the third group may be a direction to the affiliate bank and the information contained in the fourth group may be time. The first memory is adapted to store the name of the bank of interest, the name of the affiliate bank, and the business hours of the affiliate bank, and the second memory is adapted to store the name of the affiliate bank and the direction to the affiliate bank. As such, the user is only required to input the name of the bank of interest to obtain information on a direction to an affiliate bank currently open for business. Thus the user efficiently reach a destination if the user does not know specifically the name, location or business hours of the destination.
Still preferably the relay device also includes a relay device identifier memory storing an identifier of the relay device. The second transmit block is connected to the first receive block and the relay device identifier memory to transmit to the information service device the information contained in the first group together with the identifier of the relay device. The information service device also includes a third memory storing an association between the identifier of the relay device and information contained in a fifth group. The first memory stores an association between the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the second group, the information contained in the fourth group and the information contained in the fifth group. The first conversion block is connected to the second receive block, the information output block, the first memory and the third memory to receive the identifier of the relay device and refer to the association stored in the third memory to convert the identifier of the relay device into the information contained in the fifth group, and further refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the fourth group and the information contained in the fifth group into the information contained in the second group for output.
For example, with the information contained in the fifth group corresponding to the location of a relay device, the first memory may store an association between the name of the bank of interest, the name of an affiliate bank, a direction to the affiliate bank, and the location of the relay device. As such, the information service device can refer to the location of the relay device having relayed data, to select an affiliate bank closest to the relay device and thus provide a direction to the affiliate bank. Thus the information service system can provide information depending on the user""s position, as appropriate.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving and outputting information contained in a first group, an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group and further converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output, and a relay device relaying information between the portable device and the information service device. The information service device includes a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the second group, a second memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a receive block receiving the information from the relay device, a first conversion block connected to the receive block and the first memory to refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group into the information contained in the second group for output, and a second conversion block connected to the first conversion block and the second memory to refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The portable device and the information service device are adapted to communicate information with each other via a relay device. As such, if for example the information service device is an artificial satellite and the relay device is a cellular station, the information service system can provide information in a wide range of area.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect the information service system includes a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group for output, an information service device receiving the information contained in the second group and converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output, and a relay device relaying information between the portable device and the information service device. The portable device includes an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, a first memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the second group, a first conversion block connected to the input block and the first memory to refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group into the information contained in the second group, and a first transmit block connected to the first conversion block to transmit to the relay device the information contained in the second group. The relay device includes a first receive block receiving information from the first transmit block, and a second transmit block connected to the first receive block to receive the information contained in the second group and transmit to the information service device the information contained in the second group. The information service device includes a second memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a second receive block receiving information from the second transmit block, and a second conversion block connected to the second receive block and the second memory to refer to the association stored in the second memory to convert the information received by the second receive block and contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The portable device and the information service device are adapted to communicate information with each other via a relay device. As such, if for example the information service device is an artificial satellite and the relay device is a cellular station, the information service system can provide information in a wide range of area.
Preferably the portable device also includes an information output block outputting the information contained in the fourth group. The first memory stores an association between the information contained in the first group, the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the fourth group. The first conversion block is connected to the input block, the information output block and the first memory to refer to the association stored in the first memory to convert the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the fourth group into the information contained in the second group for output.
For example, the information contained in the first group may be the name of a bank which a user desires to use (the name of the bank of interest) and the information contained in the second group may be the name of a bank which accepts a bank book or a cash card of the bank of interest (the name of an affiliate bank). Furthermore, the information contained in the third group may be a direction to the affiliate bank and the information contained in the fourth group may be time. The first memory is adapted to store the name of the bank of interest, the name of the affiliate bank, and the business hours of the affiliate bank, and the second memory is adapted to store the name of the affiliate bank and the direction to the affiliate bank. As such, the user is only required to input the name of the bank of interest to obtain information on a direction to an affiliate bank currently open for business. Thus the user efficiently reach a destination if the user does not know specifically the name, location or business hours of the destination.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect a portable device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving information contained in a first group and converting the information contained in the first group into information contained in a second group for output, an information service device receiving the information contained in the second group and converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output, and a relay device relaying information between the portable device and the information service device. The portable device includes an input block inputting the information contained in the first group, a memory storing an association between the information contained in the first group and the information contained in the second group, a conversion block connected to the input block and the memory to refer to the association stored in the memory to convert the information contained in the first group into the information contained in the second group for output, and a transmit block connected to the conversion block to transmit to the relay device the information contained in the second group.
The portable device and the information service device are adapted to communicate information with each other via a relay device. As such, if for example the information service device is an artificial satellite and the relay device is a cellular station, the information service system can provide information in a wide range of area.
In accordance with the present invention in still another aspect an information service device is used in an information service system including a portable device receiving and converting information contained in a first group into information contained in a second group for output, an information service device receiving and converting the information contained in the second group into information contained in a third group for output, and a relay device relaying information between the portable device and the information service device. The information service device includes a memory storing an association between the information contained in the second group and the information contained in the third group, a receive block receiving information from the relay device, and a conversion block connected to the receive block and the memory to refer to the association stored in the memory to convert the information received by the receive block and contained in the second group into the information contained in the third group for output.
The portable device and the information service device are adapted to communicate information with each other via a relay device. As such, if for example the information service device is an artificial satellite and the relay device is a cellular station, the information service system can provide information in a wide range of area.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.